Songs of joy and tears of relief as hostages reunite with families after two years apart

• Matan Angrest
• Gali Berman
• Ziv Berman
• Alon Ohel
• Eitan Mor
• Guy Gilboa-Dalal
• Omri Miran
• Bar Kupershtein
• Ariel Cunio
• David Cunio
• Matan Zangauker
• Nimrod Cohen
• Yosef Chaim Ohana
• Elkana Bobot
• Avinatan Or
• Maxim Herkin
• Segev Kalfon
• Eitan Horn
• Evyatar David
• Rom Braslavski

Twins Gali and Ziv Berman are reunited at the Re'im IDF base on October 13, 2025 (Image: Courtesy)[Missing Credit]

Their release was met with jubilation in Tel Aviv's Hostages Square, where thousands of people, including expectant families gathered to celebrate, waving Israeli flags and hostage posters and singing songs.

"We are in a dream," said Avi Ohana, whose son Yosef Chaim Ohana, was abducted from the Nova music festival after providing medical attention to wounded revellers.

Some of those freed were able to call their loved ones from Gaza while they were en route home, sharing their first words with family in over two years.

Omri Miran is reunited with his wife Lishay and their two daughters Roni, four and Alma, two (Photo: IDF)[Missing Credit]

The first seven hostages freed arrived at an IDF base in Re’im ahead of the group of 13. They were then transferred to nearby medical facilities to undergo physical and psychological evaluation and to be reunited with their families.

Twins Gali and Ziv Berman were among the first freed hostages to be photographed; they were pictured embracing after being released from Hamas captivity, where they were held separately. The brothers, 28, who were kidnapped from Kibbutz Kfar Aza were also photographed on their way back to Israel wearing matching Maccabi Tel Aviv jerseys.

Former hostage Emily Damari, who is close friends with the twins, was seen celebrating with the brothers’ family and other loved ones as they were released.

Avinatan Or, footage of whom went viral on October 7 as he was separated from girlfriend Noa Argamani as the pair were abducted, is reunited with his parents Efrat and Tzvika (Photo: IDF)[Missing Credit]

Avinatan Or, footage of whom went viral on October 7 when Hamas livestreamed his abduction along with that of his girlfriend, Noa Argamani, was released too. He was greeted by his parents, Efrat and Tzvika, and was pictured kissing a beaming Argamani, who was rescued from Gaza by the IDF in a daring operation in June 2024.

Also among those released is Omri Miran, a father to two young daughters. He was reunited with his wife, Lishay Miran-Lavi, with a photo emerging of the couple smiling and wearing T-shirts featuring designs by their children.

Last night, with just hours to go until the 48-year-old’s release from captivity, Miran-Levy posted a photo to X of Roni, four, and Alma, two – who was only a few months old when her father was abducted. In the image, the girls are shown smiling and clutching a suitcase each. In an accompanying message, Miran-Lavi wrote: “Prepared and ready for Daddy Omri,” adding a yellow heart emoji.

Omri Miran, who has two daughters, aged two and four, has been reunited with his wife, Lishay Miran-Lavi[Missing Credit]

In a separate post she shared a photo of herself and her daughters outside in the dark. She wrote: “For two years now, every night we go out under the moon and say, ‘Good night, Daddy Omri,’ hoping he hears, hoping he feels. Today, for the last time. Tomorrow, Roni and Alma will say it to Daddy himself.”

Relatives of deceased hostages, residents of nearby kibbutzim, and Israelis from across the country gathered along Road 232, near the entrance to Camp Re’im, where the freed hostages arrived after being transferred by the the Red Cross to IDF forces.

“It was very important for me to be here today. My family will not receive Tal back alive, and there are likely more families who won’t see their loved ones return either,” Zamir Haimi, uncle of hostage Tal Haimi, who was slain while defending his kibbutz on October 7 and whose body taken to Gaza, told the JC at the Re’im base.

“But it’s important to be here for those coming home today and for their families. We’ve become one big family over the last two years. I’m happy for them – I feel their joy.”

Haimi added: “For Tal, it’s too soon to say what will happen. I hope we find all the deceased hostages whose locations are still unknown. As for Israel, we will have to rebuild and heal.”

Groups from southern kibbutzim – including Nir Oz, Nahal Oz, and Kramim – gathered to welcome the freed captives.

Kibbutz Nir Oz, which still had nine hostages in Gaza until today, saw four return alive:  Ariel and David Cunio, Eitan Horn, and Matan Zangauker.

“We hope the deceased will be returned too,” said Yamit Avital of Nir Oz. “We’re deeply moved and waiting for them. Maybe now that everyone will come home – the living and the dead – we can begin to recover, mourn properly, and plan how to rebuild our community.”

Avital said she believes Silvia Cunio, mother of Ariel and David, was already at Camp Re’im. “I really hope they’re okay and standing strong. From what we see in the media, they seem somewhat fine. We’ll cheer them even if they don’t recognise us as they pass.”

“It’s much better being here than watching it on television," Avital added. “There’s a sense of finally being able to breathe. We couldn’t grieve properly before – we were too focused on fighting for the hostages’ return. Now we can begin to mourn and move forward.”

Omri Miran, his wife Lishay and their two daughters Roni, four and Alma, two, pictured at one of the hospitals where released hostages will be looked after (Photo: IDF)[Missing Credit]

US President Trump, who oversaw ceasefire negotiations, landed at Ben-Gurion Airport early this morning, before visiting the Knesset to give an address that earned him nearly two dozen standing ovations. He then departed for Egypt to co-chair a “peace summit” with the  president Abdel Fattah el-Sisi.

The remains of the 28 hostages believed to be dead were due to be returned by the end of the day, but this afternoon the Hostages and Missing Families Forum announced it had been informed that only four of the bodies would arrive home by the deadline, calling it a “blatant breach” of the ceasefire agreement with Hamas.

The names of the deceased hostages are:

• Itay Chen
• Dror Oz
• Daniel Oz
• Daniel Peretz
• Lior Rudaeff
• Eliyahu Margalit
• Yossi Sharabi
• Meny Godard
• Amiram Cooper
• Tamir Adar
• Muhammad Al-Atarash
• Omer Neutra
• Sahar Baruch
• Uriel Baruch
• Tal Haimi
• Ronen Engel
• Hadar Goldin
• Arie Zalmanowicz
• Guy Illouz
• Eitan Levi
• Joshua Loitu Mollel
• Inbar Hayman
• Asaf Hamami
• Ran Gvili
• Sonthaya Oakkharasri
• Sudthisak Rinthalaki
• Bipin Joshi

The fate of one final hostage, Tamir Nimrodi, is not yet known. He was previously believed to be alive but his name was not included on Hamas’s list of living hostages.

In return for the hostages, security forces at Ofer Prison in the West Bank are reportedly preparing to release 250 terror convicts, all of whom are serving at least one life sentence.

They will be released into the territory via the Beitunia checkpoint near Ramallah.

Seven prisoners from East Jerusalem will also return to their homes under police escort, while another seven will be deported abroad.

And a further 1,718 Gazan detainees will be returned to the Strip from Ketziot Prison in southern Israel.